The Tramp Room

Reviews / Votes

"The joy is in the details... and they are fascinating, from the preparation of flax for spinning to making candles and quilting potholders." -- Mary Thomas -- Canadian Review of Materials "In The Tramp Room, with great skill and tenderness, Nancy-Lou Patterson takes us on a magical life-affirming journey into mid-nineteenth century life at Kitchener's Joseph Schneider Haus. Here we are witness to the unfolding of a fascinating and spiritually rewarding story set against a backdrop of the beautiful simplicity and hard work that made up the daily lives of the Mennonites in the period. The latest in her series of young adult novels, The Tramp Room celebrates the rituals that inform the most ordinary activities from cookie cutting to flax breaking as well as the beauty and artistry at the heart of everyday objects. An extremely moving and enriching experience, this book will enchant readers of all ages." -- Jane Urquhart "This neat little novel by contributing editor Nancy-Lou Patterson is historical fiction with the emphasis on the historical. It is set in the 19th century in a Mennonite home in Ontario, Canada....The point that most struck me was the very difference in the tone of life. There were no bored children complaining about not being able to make it to Disneyland....This is a world without short cuts and time-saving devices, in which time is neither frantically lost, nor squandered in ennui. In the end Patterson uses George MacDonald's favorite Novalis quote, but it is not vital to a story which is more in the tradition of Katherine Paterson than Lewis or MacDonald. Still, if one is willing to time travel, this sweet little story brings spiritual lessons all its own." -- James Prothero, The Lamp-Post